Chapter 27

Brinley snapped, her voice sharp as she slapped Austin's hand away. "Who's supposed to take care of you if I walk out?" Her fingers brushed his skin by accident, catching on the cold sweat slicking the back of his hand, and unease prickled down her spine. "Lie down and stop fighting me!"

"It might be contagious. Stick around me and you'll probably catch it." Austin's words dwindled to a husky murmur, his breath shallow. "You should go..."

Only then did it dawn on Brinley-he wasn't trying to push her away out of stubbornness, but out of fear that he carried something that could infect her.

A laugh escaped her, threaded with both irritation and reluctant fondness, as she pressed his restless arm firmly against the mattress. "Don't be ridiculous.Contagious, really? Try moving again and I'll throw you out myself." Austin's eyes flickered open, a glint of clarity breaking through the feverish haze.

His gaze lingered on her, turbulent with unspoken emotion, before his lashes drooped.

With a weary surrender, he let his arm fall still and finally closed his eyes.

Brinley let out a shaky breath of relief and kept tending to him, her hands moving with a steadier rhythm as she wiped his clammy skin.

Austin's awareness flickered, caught between fog and fleeting clarity.

Each time his heavy eyelids lifted, the blurred outline of Brinley working tirelessly by his side filled his vision.

The sight stirred a quiet warmth in his chest, like a subtle current moving through his chest.

A fleeting smile flickered across his mouth before exhaustion pulled him under again. Miguel soon arrived, the private doctor trailing at his side. This was the sight that greeted them as they stood in the doorway: Brinley darting busily around the bedside, while Austin lay sprawled on the sheets,his fever patch slipping askew, his furrowed brows softened into rare ease.

"Mrs. Moore." Miguel's voice carried as he strode forward, ushering the doctor in.

Startled, Brinley sprang upright, nerves tightening her voice. "Doctor-you're here! Please, check him right away!"

The doctor ran a quick check on Austin before delivering his diagnosis. "Acute gastric bleeding,accompanied by a high fever. He needs to be transferred to the hospital at once."

Brinley's chest tightened, her pulse tripping over itself at his words.

Her disastrous meals were undoubtedly the cause of Austin's acute gastric bleeding. "I'll go with him," she blurted, the words rushing out before she thought. "I know exactly what he's eaten these last few days."

···

At the Moore Group's private hospital, the VIP suite still carried the same sterile chill of its minimalist design that mirrored Austin's bedroom.

Brinley sat rigidly in a chair by the bed, her gaze fixed on the nurse inserting an IV into Austin's arm. The clear liquid dripping into his veins only deepened the knot of worry in her chest.

When Austin stirred awake, she leaned forward, her voice sharp with equal parts fear and frustration."The doctor said it's from eating terrible food and drinking alcohol-no wonder your stomach rebelled."

Her eyes narrowed as she scolded him, "Austin,you're a grown man. Shouldn't you know how to handle yourself? Must you push yourself until you end up like this? What now-are you planning to blame this on me?" Austin's voice carried a teasing edge. "I'm definitely putting the blame on you," he murmured, stretched out on his side, eyes fixed on her.

Though his skin still looked drained of color, the gleam in his gaze burned with a startling brightness.

Brinley's chest gave a sudden jolt. Heat rushed to her face, and she spun away as if his words had scorched her. "I'm telling you now-don't even think about it."

A low chuckle escaped him, but the laugh tugged at his stomach, making him wince and groan.

Her head whipped back instantly, brows furrowed."Stop laughing. Do you even remember you're supposed to be resting?"

Despite her sharp tone, her hand reached out on instinct, tugging at his pillow until it supported him more comfortably.

When her fingertips brushed the side of his neck, the delicate warmth of his skin sent a jolt up her arm. She jerked her hand back, a fiery blush racing up to her ears.

Austin caught every flicker of her reaction.Amusement deepened in his eyes, sparking like sunlight on water as he quietly savored the sight.

The doctor insisted Austin stay hospitalized for at least three more days to recover.

During that time, Brinley ended up becoming his reluctant caretaker.

Guilt gnawed at her-after all, it was her cooking that had landed him here in the first place-so she couldn't just walk away.

Every morning without fail, she stepped into the hospital room with a container in her hands.

Brinley ladled some porridge into a bowl, then set it in front of Austin."Eat."

Austin accepted the bowl, but instead of lifting the spoon, he nudged it back toward her with a fleeting smile. "You haven't eaten either." Brinley flinched at his words, retreating slightly. "I'm not hungry," she murmured, her eyes drifting to the faint marks left by IV needles on the back of his hand.

The sight made her oddly uncomfortable.

He was forced to eat with his left hand, awkward and unsteady because of the IV in his right, but he stubbornly insisted on handling it himself.

"Have a taste?" he asked, lifting a spoonful toward her,his piercing eyes unyielding.

The porridge's warmth curled in the air, and Brinley's heartbeat stumbled.

She averted her gaze, murmuring so softly it barely carried, "Go ahead, eat it yourself."

Austin let the matter drop, chewing slowly while never taking his gaze off her.

Feeling uneasy under his quiet scrutiny, Brinley picked up the stack of documents she had brought with her and pretended to read. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, her eyes drifted toward him again and again.

When the bowl was empty, Austin sank back against the headboard, a tablet propped on his stomach. His fingers glided across the screen with practiced speed as he scanned reports.

Now and then, the phone at his side buzzed. He answered in a low, steady voice that carried effortless authority, settling matters in a few clipped sentences.

Brinley's eyes lingered on his concentrated profile,and in that instant she finally understood-Austin's achievements had never been a matter of luck.

Even lying pale in a hospital bed,he carried himself with relentless drive, his mind fixed on business matters.

"Do you really have to push yourself this far?" she queried, unable to stop herself. "The company won't crumble without you for a few days." Lifting his head, Austin curved his lips into a light,teasing smile. "I'd hate for you to think I can't measure up to your standards."

Her throat tightened, and she turned abruptly,pouring water into a glass to avoid his gaze, though the tips of her ears betrayed her by flushing crimson.

Catching sight of her reflection in the window, she realized she couldn't drift through life in this half-hearted daze any longer.

If Austin could rise this high through sheer willpower,then why couldn't she?

The VantagePath Realty project was stalled, but her ambitions weren't meant to end there.

"When you've recovered, let's set our companies against each other and watch which one thrives more," she declared, returning to his side and setting the glass down with a decisive clink.

Amusement flickered in his eyes. "I'm in."